{
  "title": "The State of Independent Real Estate Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/realestate/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-15T13:21:26.072Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-15T13:18:09.215Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-15T13:21:41.936Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 15). The state of independent real estate websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/realestate/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to independent brokerages, agent teams and property managers",
  "sampleSize": 133,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 8.5,
  "medianScore": 75,
  "meanScore": 75,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 3.3,
  "questionCount": 8,
  "findings": [
    "Only 13% of the 133 independent real estate websites we scanned say what they charge.",
    "A typical site answers three of the eight questions buyers, sellers and landlords ask before choosing (mean 3.3).",
    "The median overall score is 75 out of 100 (mean 75).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"What will it cost me?\" (13%), \"Are you licensed?\" (20%) and \"Have you sold or managed homes like mine?\" (26%).",
    "The best-answered are \"Can I see what you have for sale or rent?\" (76%) and \"How do I reach you or book a showing?\" (60%).",
    "By kind of business, the highest median score is 79 (independent property managers), against 74 for independent residential brokerages, 74 for solo agents and small teams and 72 for luxury boutiques.",
    "87% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "78% fail \"RealEstateAgent or listing structured data\" (Schema.org · RealEstateAgent).",
    "77% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP)."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "fees",
      "question": "What will it cost me?",
      "label": "Commission or management fee stated",
      "standard": "Customer question 7",
      "passPct": 13,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 9,
        "team": 0,
        "pm": 28,
        "lux": 0
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "licence",
      "question": "Are you licensed?",
      "label": "A real estate licence number is shown",
      "standard": "Customer question 6",
      "passPct": 20,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 17,
        "team": 27,
        "pm": 17,
        "lux": 22
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "sold",
      "question": "Have you sold or managed homes like mine?",
      "label": "Track record shown: sales, volume or doors managed",
      "standard": "Customer question 5",
      "passPct": 26,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 20,
        "team": 32,
        "pm": 15,
        "lux": 67
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "areas",
      "question": "Do you work where I live?",
      "label": "Areas served named, or community pages",
      "standard": "Customer question 3",
      "passPct": 37,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 39,
        "team": 18,
        "pm": 32,
        "lux": 67
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reviews",
      "question": "Do past clients vouch for you?",
      "label": "Reviews marked up, in a widget or quoted",
      "standard": "Customer question 8",
      "passPct": 40,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 39,
        "team": 27,
        "pm": 36,
        "lux": 67
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "valuation",
      "question": "What's my home worth, or what will it rent for?",
      "label": "Home valuation or rental analysis offered",
      "standard": "Customer question 4",
      "passPct": 58,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 57,
        "team": 55,
        "pm": 55,
        "lux": 72
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "contact",
      "question": "How do I reach you or book a showing?",
      "label": "Tappable phone plus a form or showing request",
      "standard": "Customer question 2",
      "passPct": 60,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 65,
        "team": 55,
        "pm": 53,
        "lux": 72
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "search",
      "question": "Can I see what you have for sale or rent?",
      "label": "Listings or rentals can be searched on the site",
      "standard": "Customer question 1",
      "passPct": 76,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 72,
        "team": 77,
        "pm": 72,
        "lux": 94
      }
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 87,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 85,
        "team": 91,
        "pm": 87,
        "lux": 89
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "RealEstateAgent or listing structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · RealEstateAgent",
      "failPct": 78,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 80,
        "team": 68,
        "pm": 83,
        "lux": 72
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 77,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 83,
        "team": 77,
        "pm": 77,
        "lux": 61
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 29,
      "bySegment": {
        "brok": 41,
        "team": 32,
        "pm": 6,
        "lux": 56
      }
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "brok",
      "name": "Independent residential brokerages",
      "sites": 46,
      "median": 74,
      "weakPct": 4
    },
    {
      "id": "team",
      "name": "Solo agents and small teams",
      "sites": 22,
      "median": 74,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "pm",
      "name": "Independent property managers",
      "sites": 47,
      "median": 79,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "lux",
      "name": "Luxury boutiques",
      "sites": 18,
      "median": 72,
      "weakPct": 0
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "fees",
      "label": "Commission or management fee stated",
      "standard": "Customer question 7",
      "failPct": 87,
      "question": "What will it cost me?",
      "fix": "Say plainly how the firm is paid: commission or flat fee and what it covers, or the management and leasing fees.",
      "pitch": "Since buyer agreements became the norm, clients ask what you charge first, and your site does not say.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 87,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1, especially text laid over hero photos.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "licence",
      "label": "A real estate licence number is shown",
      "standard": "Customer question 6",
      "failPct": 80,
      "question": "Are you licensed?",
      "fix": "Show the broker of record and each agent’s licence number in the footer and on agent pages.",
      "pitch": "A careful client checks the licence first, and your site makes them look it up elsewhere.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "RealEstateAgent or listing structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · RealEstateAgent",
      "failPct": 78,
      "fix": "Add RealEstateAgent structured data with the firm’s name, address, phone and areas served.",
      "pitch": "Search engines and assistants have to guess who you are and where you work.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 77,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero photo, defer the listing-search scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on a buyer’s phone at the curb.",
      "effort": "Build"
    }
  ]
}